Auto Industry NewsAnd Car Reviews

In this culture of "buy new" and "replace, don't repair", even a hardened old car lover like myself finds his head turned by some of the spectacular offers on new cars. Cars such as Kia Souls or Nissan Versas can be had for as little as $150 a month. Surely this has to be the cheapest motoring available? Ever the contrarian, I set out to examine that. My weapon of choice was a 1996 Honda Civic, resplendent in peeling aqua-marine paint, a spring chicken showing a mere 160,000 miles. It came my way free of charge, but craigslist will offer you a choice of colors and trims nearly as broad as the Honda dealer would have had back in the mid-nineties, yet now all floating around the $1000 mark.

Leasing a car used to be a trend reserved for luxury car drivers, but leasing of many different models and classes of vehicles has hit record levels over the last few months. Easier credit qualifications and attractive deals have more people looking to lease their next vehicle.

Hertz already flexed its muscles in an effort to increase its position in the standard rental car market; now it's going after a higher-end segment. The company announced that it plans to offer exotic cars like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Audi R8s for daily rental. It will compete against smaller exotic rental firms. The cars run a bit more than the subcompact that you may be used to on business trips and they're be available only in select locations.

Some newer cars, particularly luxury models, come with the option of a head-up display (HUD) that casts important information, such as turn-by-turn directions, on the windshield right in the driver's line of sight. While it may sound dangerous, the jet fighter-like technology is designed to deliver essential visual information while the driver keeps his eyes on the road. With a head-up display, the driver doesn't have to glance down at a separate screen, and the information doesn't completely block any part of the windshield.

Of course, head-up displays are a relatively new technology not available on every car. So the navigation experts over at Garmin are offering an aftermarket head-up display that brings the capabilities into any vehicle.

The Corvette is one of America’s most loved cars of all time. This vehicle has consistently been the standard that has kept every other American-made sports cars in their place. Not many people look to the powerful Corvette and expect to be impressed with the fuel economy, but a press release concerning the gas mileage about the 2014 Corvette Stingray has left many in awe of this machine in yet another way.

Although a recent spike in vehicle thefts over the July 4th holiday weekend startled some vehicle owners, the trend of fewer car thefts is still in strong. While data shows that car thefts in this country continue to decline, some vehicles are still being stolen at a high rate. The most vulnerable vehicles to car theft in this country include Dodge’s Charger and Ford’s F-250 passenger pickup trucks.

Google’s driverless car experiments have been nothing short of fascinating. They have sparked many innovative minds to start making big plans for the use of these kinds of vehicles. Major planning is underway that involves implementing these driverless vehicles once the technology is perfected and they become legal in all states—and it involves the way cities are operated.

In one of the largest recalls we have seen in some time, Jeep has recalled a staggering 1,560,000 vehicles in total. The issue at hand, is no small problem either—it seems that Grand Cherokee models built between 1993-1998, as well as Liberty models made between 2002-2007, may have been built with defective fuel tanks. Yeah... remember when your dad would tell you stories about the Ford Pinto growing up? Well, welcome to the next generation of Pinto-like problems. The fuel tanks on these Jeeps may, in fact, leak and fail in the vehicle is rear ended. Not good.

So what is the cure for this problem? Well, naturally Chrysler is asking all customers bring their Jeeps back in for inspection and repair. Trucks that do not have a tow hitch will get one, and any truck that already has a tow hitch will have it inspected to determine if it needs to be replaced, all free of charge, of course. Chrysler will be contacting owners this month, and anyone with questions may contact the company at 1-800-247-9753. Read on for the full report...

Chrysler is nothing these days if not a massive rumor target. Among other things, we've heard that Dodge may not be long for this world and Jeep may be bringing back the full-sized Wagoneer to replace the Durango. According to new rumor, Jeep may have something planned on the other end of the spectrum as well. Edmunds reports that Jeep will follow up the all-new Cherokee with a Fiat-platformed subcompact crossover about the size of a Ford Fiesta.

With auto insurance rates on the rise in states like Michigan, many people are stressed out about being able to afford coverage. Even if you live in an ‘average’ rate state, you are likely spending no less than $900 a year on car insurance. It’s probable that you’re spending more on coverage than vehicle maintenance—many people are actually having to skip routine maintenance so they can afford to keep their policy up-to-date. A few commonly overlooked discounts could make your policy affordable again.